Grain-drier



UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

BRADNER LI HARRIS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

GRAIN-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 229,124,..dated June 22, 1880.

Application filed February 26, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BRADNER L. HARRIS, of Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented an Improvement in Grain-Briers, of which the following is a specification.

The nature of this invention relates to new and useful improvements in the construction of that class of devices employed for drying grain and malt; and the invention consists in the peculiar construction, operation, and combination of the various parts by which the desired result is obtained without danger from fire or of scorchingthe grain, as more fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the side of the case removed. Fig. 3 is a similar view with the end removed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, A represents horizontal worm-carriers of the usual construction, arranged in pairs of two, one of each pair being a right and the other a left hand screw, so that as their shafts d are rotated by the necessary gearing upon each the grain in the carriers will be carried in the same direction. The shafts d of these carriers are suitably journaled at both ends, and upon one end of each are secured the pinions to, engaging with each other, so that motion communicated to one is thereby communicated to the others. Below these carriers are suitably journaled another series of similar carriers in pairs, the upper series of such carriers discharging the grain by means of the inclined planes or spouts 1), leading diagonally across and into the next series of carriers beneath, which are also provided with pinions engaging with each other in the series, and an intermediate pinion, c, communicates the motion of the upper series to those next below. As many of these series of eonveyers may be employed as is necessary, so arranged that the upper series receiving grain through the spout at will carry the grain to the rear end, discharge it into the next series of conveyers below, whence it is carried to the front end again and discharged into the next series below, whence it is conveyed to the rear, and so on until all the seriesof conveyers in the machine have been brought into use, when the last series employed will discharge outside the machine into elevators, if necessary, by means of which it may be deposited in cars or store-houses.

It will be observed that two or more pairs of the worm carriers or convey ers A are arranged parallel with each other, and in the same horizontal plane in each series of conveyers, and that, by forming each pair of conveyers with a right-hand screw for one conveyer and a left-hand screw for the other conveyer ofthe pair, the pinions of their shafts gearing and revolving in opposite directions, the material to be dried in each series will be conveyed in the same direction, thus allowing any number of pairs of conveyors to be employed in each horizontal series operated by a single motor, by which arrangement a larger quantity of the material to be dried can be fed into each series without increasing the quantity of material fed to each conveyer.

Heretofore the material to be dried, subjected to the action of heat, has been conveyed by a single upperconveyerlongitudinally through a heated chamber, and thence falls vertically to a second eonveyer, situated immediately .under it, which carries it in a reverse direction butin such construction the amoun t of material fed to the upper conveyer is small in comparison with the amount fed by my construction to the several pairs of conveyers in the upper series, and if the amount fed be increased in the old construction it will not be spread over as extended a surface as in' my arrangement in pairs, and will require greater heat to dry it. i

A series of steam-pipes, B, passing under and over the various series of conveyers, and

connected with a suitable source of steam-supply through the walls of the casing which inclose the whole device, and terminating in a suitable outlet outside said walls, impart the requisite amount of heat to dry the grain as it is slowly'carried to and fro, without danger of fire or of burning the grain.

It will be seen (see Fig. 3 of the drawings) that the conveyers and their troughs in each horizontal series alternate or break joints with the conveyers in the series above and below them, so that each conveyor in one horizontal series lies opposite the space or opening between the conveyers in the series above and below it, and that the conveyer-troughs are terial is subjected. This construction also allows open spaces for the bends of the steampipes, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and permits a better grouping of the pinions on the ends of the conveyor-shafts and the idle-wheels for transmitting motion from one series of conveyers to the other series.

or partially closed, as the exigencies of the case may require.

What I claim as my invention is In a grain-drier, the upper series of right and left hand conveyers, A, arranged in pairs, and lying in the same horizontal plane parallel with each other, and provided with pinions a on their shafts, gearing with each other, in combination with the idlers c, inclined planes 1), a similar reverse series of conveyors arranged in pairs, as in the first series, and alternating with them, as set forth, and a series of steampipes, 1%, passing under and over the conveyers, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

BRADNER L. HARRIS.

Witnesses:

H. S. SPRAGUE, CHARLES J. HUNT. 

